iPad 3 - Video, Gaming and Battery Life

Summary

Our Score:

8

iPad 3 - Video Playback

Thanks to the extra muscle under the hood, the
new iPad has little trouble playing back HD video. 1080p MOV and MP4
trailers played back perfectly where on the iPad 2 there was major
judder if they played at all. The iPad 3 can also manage High definition
MKV, but annoyingly you’ll need to work around Apple’s accepted format
limitations with an app like AVPlayerHD. The iPad does have the required
power, but due to the difficulty in getting content onto the tablet,
native format limitations, and the black bar issue, we definitely prefer
the experience on the
Transformer Prime or other, equally-endowed Android tablets.

iPad 3 - iOS 5.1 Interface

iOS
5.1 is a slick operating system that’s easy to get to grips with. It
feels cleaner and still just a little shinier than the best Android has
to offer, but to be honest, with Android 4 – known as Ice Cream
Sandwich, or ICS – running on a powerful tablet, it’s a close battle.
Android also gives you more customisation, more control, and of course
widgets.

For anyone familiar with Apple’s OS, very little has
changed. You still get apps in grids of four, and you can fill as many
pages as you like. One nice touch is that you can now put up to six
icons on the ‘most used’ bar for quick access no matter which page
you’re on, and of course folders can still be created by dragging one
icon onto another. A few notifications, like wireless status and battery
life, are visible in the top bar, and there’s an Android-like
notifications panel that’s accessed by a downward swipe from there.

There
was a lot of debate as to whether the new iPad would receive Siri, the
SF-like, voice-activated and controlled assistant we first encountered
on the
iPhone 4S. It hasn’t, though a pared-down core has made it in in the
form of Diction. Diction is essentially the iPad 3’s
Dragon Naturally Speaking, letting you talk rather than type. This is
undoubtedly a cool feature, but it’s a bit of a let-down after Siri and
we hope that the virtual assistant becomes an option in a future iOS
update, if only on the 4G models.

iOS has some nifty gesture
support, including a four-finger pinch to return to the Home page from
an app. A four-finger swipe, meanwhile, will let you access your running
applications in a task manager-like menu raised from the bottom bar.
Pressing one of these active app icons for a while will bring up little
close buttons, allowing you to shut down apps to keep your tablet’s
resources free. Apps actually pause when you go back to the Home screen,
go into another app or receive a notification though. Unlike Android
where they can still be running full-tilt in the background, iOS still
doesn’t let you multi-task ‘properly’, though for most this probably
won’t be an issue.

So
the bad points? Initial setup (from scratch) does take a lot longer
with the iPad than on an Android tablet, and of course you’re tied into
iTunes for most things unless you set up workarounds. We would have
really liked a few photos and maybe some video to show off the amazing
screen out of the box too, rather than needing to use wallpapers as
eye-candy. We also noticed a few rare, minor freezes in various apps,
only during more intensive tasks like video playback and gaming. Overall
though, everything ran smoothly despite the extra processing power, and
our iPad 3 didn’t get too hot even when gaming for an extended period.

iPad 3 - Gaming

Speaking of gaming, playing on the Retina Display is
amazing. There aren’t many graphically impressive 3D titles that have
been created specifically for the new iPad out yet, with a few notable
exceptions like Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy and Real Racing 2. However,
there are also some gorgeous ‘remastered’ titles, with Infinity Blade 2
being the standout. We really can’t reiterate enough just how glorious
the game looked at 2,048 x 1,536.

iPad 3 - Apps

Naturally,
other (non-gaming) apps are also taking advantage of the increased
pixel count. Of course, all the standard apps have been reworked to
support the new resolution, and most of the premium apps coming out will
support it. However, what about your existing collection? Worry not,
just like with old iPhone 3/3G apps running on the iPhone 4, the screen
resolution on Apple’s iPad 3 is exactly double that of the previous
model, so everything will scale beautifully. Obviously, browsing and
reading are sublime on the pin-sharp screen.

iPad 3 - Battery Life

On
average we’re getting around the same battery life on the new iPad as
we did with the iPad 2, though if anything it’s actually a bit less.
Still, considering that you’ll easily get over eight hours, there’s
little reason for complaint.

iPad 3 - Value

Last
but not least there’s the question of value, where the iPad 3 holds up
well because it doesn’t cost a penny more than the iPad 2 did at launch.
That means the 16GB Wi-Fi model can be yours for as little as £399,
which is superb value for the amount of tech the iPad 3 packs into its
casing no matter how you look at it. Do keep in mind though that, unlike
on an Android tablet, memory is not expandable, so you’re stuck with
what you buy. Unfortunately, Apple charges a rather hefty £479 for the
32GB Wi-Fi model and it goes up from there, bringing it more in line
with the kind of pricing we were expecting for Apple’s newest tablet.

So
should you actually buy one? It really depends on what you want from
your tablet. If you intend to use it mainly for browsing the web,
reading books (although an eReader like the
Sony Reader PRS-T1 or Kindle would be far healthier for your eyes) and
various apps plus gaming, there’s little reason not to go for Apple’s
latest tablet unless you already own an iPad 2. It still has a larger
app selection and is very well supported, and for now its screen is
unmatched.

If,
however, you want a tablet that can cope with all kinds of content and
you want to be able to decide how it gets there; if you watch a lot of
video on your tablet; if you want to use it for productivity and/or
design; and most especially if you want it to come as close as possible
to a laptop replacement, then the iPad 3 is not necessarily your best
choice. Instead we would recommend a premium Android tablet like the
amazing
Asus EeePad Transformer Prime or even the bulky but versatile
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet.

Verdict

There’s no denying
that the Apple new iPad is a stylish, desirable tablet, and its Retina
Display is simply stunning. It also packs plenty of power under the hood
thanks to its A5X SoC, combining a dual-core processor with quad-core
graphics – all without sacrificing battery life or putting the iPad 3’s
starting price over £400. iOS 5.1 looks better than ever before, as do
the apps and games that take advantage of the iPad 3’s stunning 2,048 x
1,536 resolution. Finally the iOS app store still holds the edge over
Google’s Android Market – for now. However, the new iPad is an
evolutionary rather than revolutionary product, and all the same
annoyances and limitations apply as with previous models. Android
tablets are also beating it on size and weight, battery life, features
and connectivity, and should soon match its specifications.

Midnight-Alchemist

March 8, 2012, 6:04 am

"However, what about your existing collection? Worry not, just like with old iPhone 3/3G apps running on the iPhone 4, the screen resolution on Apple's third iPad is exactly double that of the previous model, so everything will scale beautifully. "

- question, Does this mean that the existing iPhone specific apps that current can scale up '2x' on my iPad2 will now have to scale up even more..thus making it even less usable? There are many apps available and made for the iPhone that whilst compatible with the iPad, are not optimised for tablet use so have to scale up. I'm reticient to move to the new iPad if it means I have a choice between '1x' and '4x'. If there was a '2x' option, it *might* be ok...though I'll have to see/use it first!

Jmac

March 8, 2012, 2:48 pm

Why would the experience be any worse than on iPad 2? It's only pixel doubling, hopefully with some sort of smoothing/sharpening on fonts etc. The image should be at least as sharp as on an iPad/iPad 2, and as apps are updated to take advantage of the new screen on iPhone 4/4S (surely most of the popular ones already have?!) that benefit will translate to the new iPad as well.

Russell Peto

March 8, 2012, 2:48 pm

Since the screen is the same size and there are exactly 4 times as many pixels, a cluster of 4 pixels on the new iPad will be just the same size as a single pixel on the iPad 2.Therefore apps, even scaled up apps, will look just the same.

Jmac

March 8, 2012, 2:51 pm

I think it looks fricking awesome. I have been holding off on an iPad purchase for a long time waiting for the new screen, and with the chunkier processing capabilities as well, this looks to be the generation where the product has finally hit its potential. Only remaining question is which one to get... 16 or 32GB Wi-fi only is probably sufficient, tethering to my my iPhone 4S for data on the go.

Keithe6e

March 8, 2012, 3:11 pm

If your currently using the 2x feature on your iPad, then going 4x with this will look identical to that, so it's not going to be any less usable.

One of the advantages of Apple going for multiples of 2x 4x etc, is that there is no scaling artefacts to worry about, and backwards compatibly is in the bag.

But for the best usability it's always best to get the App that's iPad optimized anyway.

ToRJS99

March 8, 2012, 3:22 pm

Now we're making panels at 264ppi can someone sell me a 30 inch one!

Nick 2

March 8, 2012, 3:55 pm

Still seems to be that damned annoyed separation of the GPS functions in with the 4G iPad only. I really wish the full GPS was available in the WiFi models.

KultiVator

March 8, 2012, 4:15 pm

Whilst I once worried that the iPad lacked in-built an SD card-reader and HDMI - the dongles are not that bad at all (and the camera kit also allows all kinds of other gadgets to be attached - including pretty serious Microphones, MIDI keyboards / e-Drums / etc).

But in all honesty - the excellent support for DropBox in 3rd-party apps on the iPad / iPhone makes physical connectivity a non-issue for me. And not just in the official DropBox app, but in loads of other apps (many of which can also cache/store cloud-based docs for offline viewing & editing for those times you have no cloud connectivity).

A Bluetooth keyboard, and streaming of audio via Bluetooth as well as video/audio over Airplay take away the need for the physical wires that clutter up my PCs.

In short, I bought an iPad 2 as a toy, but have integrated it into my working life very nicely - as something I can be productive on, particularly for reading, research and especially planning & writing (and wherever the mood takes me).

Carnex

March 9, 2012, 1:54 pm

Am I the only one that thinks that this resolution craze is going over the top? Yes, it looks qute a bit clearer, if you look at it through magnifying glass. Othervise gain in clarity and details is not that impresive to warrant the performance and battery hit this resolution presents.

Truth to be said, if anyone in this day can pull it off, it's Apple. But still, for me at least, advantages are higly questionable considering the cons.

Hubert Richard

March 9, 2012, 9:35 pm

Apple has once again pulled it off. In other pages they were complaining about TIM COOK and Schiller not living up to the image of Steve Jobs (May his soul rest in peace), but they were missing the point, that Tim & Johny Ive combined came out smelling of roses with the latest offering. I personally hate it, just because I already own one, and now I have to change it for the latest iPad, or live without the best display and apps, and always go "J" when someone struts into my office showing off their new "babe"...! Naw, I am not going to allow that.... if there is a will there's a way..... lol

dkjack

March 9, 2012, 11:36 pm

" . . . if you weren't a fan before, there might not be enough to this latest model to change your mind."

I beg your pardon? If Retina Display plus 4G are not enough, then I don't know what is. This is the other shoe that many of us were waiting to drop. When I saw these two, I immediately went to the Apple store and pre-ordered. The site needed to be throttled because of the traffic, so obviously I'm not alone in regarding this upgrade as the tipping point, in my case not to upgrade but to return to Apple for the first time in over a decade.

Calcifer

March 10, 2012, 10:58 pm

I hate Apple, and will never trust them again as long as I live. You think £399 is cheap but £260 of that is pure pure profit fopr Apple, they could sell it £150 cheaper and still be making a 100% markup on it. They are ripping you off and all you get for it is something shiny and cool, while they laugh all the way to the bank. And God forbid anything goes wrong with it, because Apple's tech support is basically nonexistant (a forum that is barely monitored) unless you want to call the £1 a minute rate phone line and wait for a few hours.

They are insulting you every year with a new iteration and everyone sells their last one and buys another, essentially resulting in millions of people all giving apple £400 plus accessories once a year (then again for their stupid phones). It's really one of the most pathetic tragedies of the 21st Century.

Ed

March 10, 2012, 11:41 pm

Wow, that's got to one of the more misinformed comments I've ever read. The iPad is one of the least profitable devices for Apple and the starting price is very competitive. Also Apple has among the best support in the industry. Sure the best of it is available in the Apple Stores but in terms of reliably and quickly being able to get faulty or broken hardware replaced/fixed they are among the most best.

Kempez

March 11, 2012, 3:33 am

Agreed with Ed's reply above, what a totally ridiculously statement.

Apple is making money on the iPad sure, but by all accounts it's reduced it's profit margin for the iPad a lot. Sure it's still making money, but then it is a commercial company so why would it not?

Also, you clearly are at a total loss for intelligence and incredibly I'll informed if you think their tech support is bad. Apple support is superb. Not only do they look after customers who have warranty (or have paid for extended warranty), but I've experienced times when they've replaced a device out of warranty. Worst case is that you get a no-quibbles exchange for a perfect identical device from Apple. They are a model that the rest of the industry should take note of.

I suggest you go back to reading Engadget with all the other people who blindly hate Apple without information or sense.

Greg Shewan

March 11, 2012, 9:59 am

Besides the all dominating screen, nothing really grabs me about this. Same design, just like the 4S... for a company that prides itself on design I almost see this as the laziest move by Apple in well over a decade.

Chipset is a stop-gap, 4G is almost useless unless you are very lucky enough to live in a region with a provider offering this service and the huge battery jump to achieve the same levels of performance raises eyebrows over many components efficiency under load... that backing may turn into a hotplate in some climates. I can see from the offset this is not a 'world' product, even though it covers almost every conceivable band, but incredibly American-centric.

I also have to agree with the previous comment on service, with my experience it is very poor (although this is region dependant again).

It really is such a shame as they had such am epic lead on all the competition and this is all they can come up with.

Keithe6e

March 12, 2012, 1:58 pm

>> most pathetic tragedies of the 21st Century.

Wow!!, really. Ok, everybody stop buying Apple's tech, this will sort out all the problems of the world. No more wars & famine!! Hip Hip Hooray for @Calcifer our savour.

Keithe6e

March 12, 2012, 2:17 pm

>> for a company that prides itself on design I almost see this as the laziest move by Apple in well over a decade.

Really, Apple usually sticks to the same design for a long time, especially when there's nothing wrong with it. eg, look at the macBook & Air variant.

If you want a product that's constantly changing it's design, for no apparent reason, then there's plenty of alternatives. eg. HTC & Samsung have hundreds of products to satisfy everyone's tastes in perfectly formed plastics, and within a couple of months they will have changed it again for you.

Greg Shewan

March 12, 2012, 3:00 pm

Those two products you mention have quite a few design flaws created straight from aesthetic choices. I am already in the alternative camp, use a SGS2 and an HP Envy, but have a iMac for work.

Don't change something for the sake of change but there are flaws with the original design that have not been addressed at all. Slippery back and lack of connectivity with expensive peripherals are two main ones. One whole year to address two important issues and it seems like Apple just worked in a clinical white box without any external stimuli... in other words customer feedback.

Again with the plastic jabs... ok lets drop something made of glass (aka and iPhone) and something made of plastic (aka an SGS2), the results are going to show why most manufacturers use plastic.

Keithe6e

March 12, 2012, 4:18 pm

Yeah, slippery back, that's something super important for Apple to sort out, 7 people have been asking for a none-slippery backed iPad since the dawn of time. Why don't Apple listen!!, instead they installed a retina display that thousands wanted.

And connectivity, yeah, I'm really angry that there's thousands of peripherals available for said product. Wish I had some cheap plastic variant that has fewer if not none. Be much better that!!.

Oh, and yeah.. breakage, I've lost count of the number of times my iPhone has broken on me,. Oh, wait a minute, actually it's none, but if it was plastic, I'd be better off as I'd have -1 times my case had cracked.!! I remember the good old days were my plastic phones battery cover would fall off for no apparent reason, those were much better made products by far. And what I really hate, is if my iPhone did break, I'm sick and tied of how cheap the spare parts are, that's just no right I tell you.

TechVegan

March 12, 2012, 8:03 pm

All I meant was that the same limitations still apply, and no matter how awesome, the screen and 4G are still evolutions rather than revolutions. Also, do you live in the UK? Good luck finding a 4G network then...

I'll readily admit that the screen alone is a pretty huge upgrade and in fact (if an Android rival doesn't match or better it soon) it may just be enough to convince me too...

TechVegan

March 12, 2012, 8:19 pm

@Keithe6e:Actually, IF you think the iPad is slippery (we wouldn't go quite that far, but it could do with a little more grip) that IS pretty important. How good is your Retina display going to look if you dropped the tablet and it's shattered?

Connectivity: other tablets (even the "cheap plastic variant[s]") don't NEED adapters, because you can hook up things without them. It's a fair point and a serious failing of the iPad; want to hook it up to your TV? You need an adapter. Want to read photos off your SD card? An adapter it is, etc. So your sarcasm is at best misplaced... Peripherals, of course, it has more than any other tablet. But we would still rather have the Transformer Prime's keyboard dock than a third-party solution.

Glass shatters easier than plastic, that's simply fact. The number of friends & acquaintances who have shattered iPhone 4/4s screens... And Apple hardly have a monopoly on well-made products (although they do offer consistent quality).

Keithe6e

March 12, 2012, 9:28 pm

@Ardjuna: How good is your Retina display going to look if you dropped the tablet and it's shattered?

Good question, how good do you think a Transformer Prime would look with a shattered screen?. And good look finding a replacement if it does. btw ipad 2, replacement screen about £32.

@Ardjuna: don't NEED adapters, because you can hook up things without them.

Yes, that's correct. If your serious photographer, you can just plug your CF card into other tablets, or do you need an adapter? (oops). And built into other tablets there is a hdmi cable you can pull out to connect to your TV, (or do you still need a cable again, just a different type, mmm. let me think).

@Ardjuna: And Apple hardly have a monopoly on well-made products

Who said they did? And Apple don't have a monopoly on broken gadgets either. Just look on ebay for broken Samsung S2 etc.

TechVegan

March 13, 2012, 9:23 pm

@Keithe6e:Thanks for the reply.

Keithe6e: "Good question, how good do you think a Transformer Prime would look with a shattered screen?"

That's not the issue, I wasn't saying the iPad is inferior to anything here - in fact the Prime is a good example because it offers LESS grip. All I was saying was that it could still be improved, and that @Greg Shewan's point wasn't without merit.

Keithe6e: "If your serious photographer, you can just plug your CF card into other tablets, or do you need an adapter? (oops)"

Did I say if "you're" a serious photographer? Did I even say photographer? And how many cameras exclusively use CF these days? Quite aside from the fact that 90 percent of all cameras use SD, that was not my point; you can have photos on your phone's SD card and just stick it in your tablet, you can expand your tablet's memory (unless you own an iPad or new-gen Xoom) etc. THAT was my point.

Keithe6e: "or do you still need a cable again, just a different type, mmm"

Keithe6e: "I remember the good old days were my plastic phones battery cover would fall off for no apparent reason, those were much better made products by far."

That suggests non-Apple, or at least plastic, products were automatically inferior. If you didn't mean to suggest that, you should have phrased it differently.

Keithe6e

March 13, 2012, 11:05 pm

@Ardjuna: And how many cameras exclusively use CF these days?

So what your saying, if your using a high end camera, that's your likely to use CF for size/speed, first you'll need to copy your photos to the another SD card on the camera, then plug the SD into the Android. I still think plugging the camera kit in seems easer, maybe that's just me. My point it there are certainly no lack of accessories for the iPad, check out eBay for camera kits for an example.

@Ardjuna: That's the (significant) difference,

Again look on eBay to see plenty of alternatives, it's certainly not (only from Apple).. And in any case if £30 is a massive stumbling block, then yes maybe an iPad is not for you anyway.

@Ardjuna: That suggests... automatically inferior

What, instead of glass automatically been inferior to plastic, try reading the context of the thread again, then you'll understand better.

ElectricSheep

March 14, 2012, 3:34 pm

Canon 1D series cameras come with dual cards - SD & CF that can be used in any order of use, recording whatever format to whatever medium in multiple ways. So you can record small JPEGS to the SD and RAW to the CF, as I often do. As for prosumer & consumer cameras - a vast majority use SD cards.

And yes, for some people value is a proposition that they take seriously. Yet another extra £30 add on required to get functionality from the iPad, that would otherwise be accessible for free on a competitor's tablet, makes a difference. Especially when you need to purchase an additional one to access each 'amazing' feature. We all know how much we love travelling with a bag full of silly, expensive adapters....sooooo convenient for the consumer. Especially when you're travelling and one breaks of gets lost, compromising the productivity of said gadget.

I find it amusing that you are accusing someone of not commenting within the context of a thread. You don't seem to be too hot on that yourself.

No need to continually attempt to be condescending in your posts. We get it. You're into Apple and love accessories. I'm happy that's working out for you!

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